Goldman's State Of U.S. Consumer Outlook Gets More Grim

The Pentagon's Next Critical Minerals Source Is Already In Its Own Warehouses Authored by Matt Bedingfield via RealClearDefenseolitics, Last week, U.S. Navy destroyers began escorting commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz under Project Freedom, the most aggressive American action in the strait since Iran shut it down in March. The naval blockade of Iranian ports is now in its fifth week. U.S. warships are running mine-clearance operations, intercepting Iranian-flagged cargo, and absorbing drone threats daily. And the permanent magnets in those destroyers' guidance systems are still refined in China. So are the...

Unitree Founder Sees Humanoids Going "Mass Market" Within Decade As IPO Rally Fades Lower US long-end yields, a softer dollar, and SK Hynix's share buyback announcement stabilized sentiment across Asian markets. However, shares of Chinese humanoid robot maker Unitree erased some of those massive 460% gains following Wednesday's blockbuster debut.  Risk appetite was also tempered after President Trump declared "Economic D-Day" against Iran and threatened severe consequences for any country providing support to Tehran. Against that backdrop, investors may continue rotating toward safer (see here), higher-quality companies with limited exposure to geopolitical...

Iran-Linked Media Floats Data Tax On Hormuz Undersea Internet Cables An Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-linked media outlet has signaled that submarine fiber-optic cables running through the Strait of Hormuz remain in Tehran’s crosshairs. Tehran views Hormuz not only as an energy chokepoint but also as a digital chokepoint, with undersea cables beaming internet across the Gulf and into the global network. Source: Retuers  Tasnim published an article titled “Three Practical Steps for Generating Revenue from Strait of Hormuz Internet Cables,” pointing out that Tehran must reassess how it exercises sovereignty over the strategic...